Uncertain Future
by whatariot
Summary: "There was no other phrase for it; Sam was 'in a mood'" Discussions need to be had sooner or later. Rated T for some salty language.


_**Soo it's been a while. Lots of stuff going on. No excuses but I'll be trying to get back in the swing of things. Excelsior etc.** _

**I own nothing nor would I try to.**_  
_

* * *

There was no other phrase for it; Sam was 'in a mood'. Andy watched with a combination of amusement and irritation as her… well whatever… stomped up and down his narrow yard behind his push mower. She sat comfortably on his soon-to-be-renovated back-porch drinking her iced tea through the curly straws she'd insisted he buy her last week. She asked if he wanted any help but he'd merely grunted and stalked off to the shed. If he wasn't going to be nice, she certainly didn't have to help so she had propped herself outside inconspicuously with a book. Admittedly it wasn't one she was that interested in. What was the point of having a hot… well whatever… if you couldn't ogle him while he did yard work.

So she sat and skimmed her book, looking over occasionally as loud sounds or flashes of skin would catch her attention. Admittedly she smirked to herself when she watched him run straight over one of the shrubs he'd apparently been babying for the past month. He of course immediately stopped the mower before kneeling to inspect the damage. Conclusion? Mulched. Andy grimaced. "Is it salvageable?" she called out over the railing.

He threw her a glare before picking up the shredded remains and holding them up for her to see. "Of course not!" he snapped irritably before throwing them at the wall of his shed with surprising force. Andy just rolled her eyes before returning her attention to the pages in her hand. If he was going to be nasty, she certainly didn't need to be a target. It certainly wasn't her fault he was too busy storming around rather than actually paying attention to what he was doing. She heard the shed door slam and more muttered curses and couldn't help the giggle that escaped. The screen door shutting behind her had her gasping in surprise.

"What's so funny, McNally?" Oliver asked her, wandering onto the porch in what Andy could only assume were his pajamas. The duck-themed pants and ancient academy t-shirt suggested she was right.

"Uhh.. hey Oliver," Andy said blushing slightly being caught laughing to herself and a little confused. "Sam just mowed over his landscaping."

At the second slam of the shed door, Oliver smiled. "And none too thrilled about it apparently."

Andy merely nodded, "Apparently."

"Speak of the devil…" Oliver said quietly as Sam grouched up the stone steps shooting them both filthy looks. "Good morning buddy. Sleep well?"

Sam shot him a venomous look. "It's mid-afternoon," before stomping into the kitchen.

Oliver just raised his eyebrows. "Yikes," he said making eye-contact with Andy. "Has he been like this all morning?"

Andy nodded, "Total crab."

"Figures," Oliver said with a shrug before sitting down next to his former rookie. "So whatcha readin'?"

Andy just looked at him curiously. There was something off. It was subtle but wrong and she couldn't put her finger on it. "Did you stay here last night?" she asked him ignoring his question.

Oliver nodded, "I did, yes. Did Sammy not mention it?"

"No, he didn't," Andy replied simply.

"Oh." Oliver said looking out uncomfortably over the backyard. "It's a long story," he told her effectively shutting down the discussion.

Andy looked on unconvinced. "If you need to talk about it, you know where I am," she told him softly.

"In Sam's bed, I know," Oliver said

Andy's face fell slightly as she turned back to her book.

"That was out of line," Oliver said trailing off as the screen door slammed open and Sam stomped back through.

"I can't find my tool box," Sam grouched moving around the porch restlessly lifting the lids of the storage bench seating and shooing Andy off her perch.

"Did you check the back of your truck?" Andy asked thinking back to his assistance in helping her piece together a particularly tricky coffee table.

He shot her a withering look.

Andy put up her hands slowly. "Alright, just trying to help," she said preparing to settle back into her place on the now disturbed bench.

"Well don't!" Sam snapped slamming the last lid shut. The silence that followed was deafening.

"Whoa buddy…" Oliver said looking worriedly between the pair.

Andy just shook her head. "No, Oliver. It's fine. I was just leaving," Andy said closing her book and putting on her well worn shoes.

"Oh of course, just walk away," Sam muttered crossing his arms over his chest defiantly.

"That's exactly what I'm doing," she said picking up her book and stepping back through the house.

Oliver's mouth didn't close until he heard Sam's front door close with a staccato bang.

Sam sighed and rubbed his temples slowly.

"Good job, brother. Remind me not to come to you when I need woman advice," Oliver said shaking his head in disbelief.

Sam looked sideways at his friend of nearly 20 years and sighed. "How are you doing with all this?" he asked.

"My life looks like cupcakes compared to that disaster you just made, brother. How about we focus on one thing at a time?" Oliver said still baffled by his friend's behavior.

"Nothing to focus on," Sam said stepping away from the conversation and wandering out to his yard.

Undeterred, Oliver followed. "Sammy, I know nothing… wait. No that came out wrong. I know what nothing looks like, and if I know anything, that certainly wasn't nothing."

Sam snorted, but continued forward to his shed.

"Are you just having trouble keeping up with all the hot sex? Cause they make pills for that now…" Oliver said over the banging around occurring in the small red building. "I mean unless you're just need a break from the drama. McNally's cute and all but I have my suspicions that she's cursed. I suppose that could make the sex more exciting though, taking your life in your hands and all that but I'm not su…"

Sam cut him off swiftly coming out of the shed "Oliver! Shut up!" he said stomping back to the house.

Oliver followed doggedly. "So it's obviously not the sex…" he said trailing him into the house and into the kitchen.

Sam glared at him before retrieving a glass from the cabinet and filling it with tap water.

"Soo if it's not the sex it has to be the feelings," Oliver theorized opening the fridge and pulling out an apple. He bit down and crunched loudly. "Is she doing that whole 'deer in the headlights' routine? I mean I could see her being gun-shy but it's been what, a whole month and she's not settled yet? That's just unforgivable," Oliver deadpanned.

Sam looked less than amused but something in him must have shifted because his façade of irritated indifference crumbled like an aging church. He took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose and snorting out a laugh. "You couldn't be more wrong."

Oliver cocked his head slightly, "You mean she's all gung ho?"

Sam nodded, laughing to himself. "She practically asked me to move in the other day," Sam said shaking his head.

Oliver looked a little bemused. "Sooo you've managed to get the girl you've been pining over for two years to not only sleep with you but make it a semi-permanent arrangement and this is a problem why?"

Sam just shook his head. "She almost married someone else six months ago."

Oliver raised his eyebrows. "But she didn't. Almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, brother. You've got a beautiful girlfriend who for whatever reason wants to be with you. Go apologize."

"It's not that simple buddy," Sam said finishing off the water in his glass.

Oliver nearly growled. "No, you know what? It is simple, _buddy"_ he replied sarcastically. "My wife, who I love more than anyone told me we needed 'space'. I haven't seen my daughters in a week and a half and it's actually killing me. I may never get them all back together again," Oliver said his voice shaking with emotion. "You on the other hand are chasing away the first girl you've had actual feelings for in how long? We all know you're tortured Sam. Trust me, if the brooding didn't get it across your insistence on being the biggest ass in the room certainly would. So you were in foster care? We've all got shit to deal with. We've all got baggage. Hell your girlfriend's old man is a drunk and her mother abandoned her, if that's not the makings of a serial killer I don't know what is, but you know what? She's got it together and that leaves you with zero excuses. Zero. So you think you're a rebound? Did you ask her about it? What did she say? And if you can't be adult enough to pull it together for her you might as well just prepare yourself to being alone the rest of your life," Oliver finished with a sigh before sitting at the stool at the counter.

Sam stood, his mouth opening and closing like a goldfish in shock. He cleared his throat looking for the words but none would come.

"I really miss Zoe and the girls," Oliver said looking down at his hands on the countertop.

Sam coughed once more. "I know buddy," he said coming around the side of the countertop and patting his friend's shoulder. "I know."

* * *

It didn't take much pressing, or okay, any pressing, on Oliver's part to get Sam dressed and out the door to head over to Andy's. Adding insult to injury of course was Sam's toolbox sitting in Sam's truck-bed, exactly as McNally had said; Just something else to apologize for. Sam sighed and thought about just putting off the inevitable but he'd have to face Oliver's disappointment and of all the people who didn't need to be dealing with someone else's crap today, Oliver topped that list.

Twenty minutes later he was in front of Andy's building in his truck waiting impatiently. He'd tried knocking on the door, buzzing her condo, calling her home and cell phones but nothing was working. He was just about to head to Jerry's to interrogate Traci when a familiar silhouette laden with bags turned the corner. He hopped out and headed in her direction to at least offer to help, even if he figured she'd turn him down.

He saw precisely when she recognized him. The posture change was immediate. She was mad. He fortified himself moving forward steadily. When she just walked straight by with no acknowledgement he knew he had some groveling to do. "Andy… Andy come on," he said breaking into a jog to catch her.

"What?" she said finally turning around. "Do you have something else to snipe at me about because you've done nothing else since this afternoon?"

Sam sighed. "Andy, I'm sorry. Look can we just talk about this inside?"

Andy looked at him skeptically for a moment. The apology was unexpected but it certainly wasn't enough to make up for his nasty attitude today. Despite that she nodded and allowed him to carry some of her groceries up the steps and to her condo.

Finally in the kitchen he set them down and began putting them away. Feeling Andy's stare into his back he began slowly. "I'm sorry about today. I was out of line and you did nothing to deserve my behavior," Sam said turning around to face her.

Andy nodded. "Apology accepted," she said before moving to put away her last bag.

Sam stepped swiftly in front of her blocking her way to the pantry and took the bag from her hands placing it on the countertop. Taking her hand he lead her to the living room and pushed her gently into her couch, toppling her into a seated position. He propped himself up next to her and held her nervous hands in his own. "Zoe came to Oliver last week and said they needed to take a break," Sam said simply.

Andy looked confused, "Like a vacation or like a 'Friends' break-break?"

Sam snorted a bit, "The latter I think."

"Oh," Andy said quietly. "Is Oliver okay?" she asked him, already knowing the answer before she finished the question.

Sam laughed a humorless laugh. "His world is falling apart and nothing can stop it."

Andy nodded slowly.

"I don't think you ever met Zoe but she's really great. I mean really great. And she and Oliver are perfect together, or were perfect together, or seemed to be anyway. They've been together for nearly as long as we've been friends. Hell she's my friend too. I'm godfather to one of the girls. They were invited to Sarah's wedding… I just… They're the only people I know who have a really good marriage or even a good lasting relationship and now they're falling apart."

Andy nodded understandingly, "And now you don't know what to do?" she asked curiously.

Sam didn't respond, just stared at their coupled hands.

"Sam, talk to me," Andy said softly, knowing he couldn't be pushed.

"Oliver grew up in Timmons. His dad's an accountant, you know that?"

Andy shook her head.

"A really 'Leave it to Beaver' childhood. He went to the academy. He met Zoe. They had their girls. He never even looked at another woman. He did everything right and still his marriage is in jeopardy."

"Sam…" Andy said.

"No, hear me out Andy. If my best friend can't make it work with the love of his life, what makes me think I can make it work with mine?"

Like a roller coaster Andy felt her emotions rise and then crash. "You think I'm the love of your life?" she asked Sam carefully.

"I don't think, I know," he said looking down at his feet.

"But you think we're not going to be able to work it out enough to be worthwhile?" she questioned.

"No! No that's not what I mean," he said. "I mean it is but…" Sam stuttered and paused thinking his way through his next words. "Everything I do with you will be worthwhile. I never regret a second of time I spend with you and I don't want you to ever believe otherwise. I don't think I could handle it if we tried and failed."

"There are no guarantees Sam. I could be shot tomorrow, "she said and was cut-off by Sam's arms wrapping around her.

"Shhh. Never say that," he said with a sort of wild panic in his eyes. "Never ever say that," he said pulling her in tightly.

"It's the truth, Sam. There are no guarantees and I refuse to accept that you don't at least want to try," she told him pulling back and cupping his jaw in her hands. "I won't let you just quit and walk away from this… from us," she told him.

Sam nodded and couldn't hold back the smile, "Okay."

"That doesn't mean if you think we're going to fast you can't say slow down… I know I freaked you out earlier," she told him again softly dropping her hands into her lap.

"About that," he said reaching out for her hands. "I hear you. I just need you to know that this isn't casual to me. I just… there are things you don't know and that I want to tell you but I'm just not there yet," he said carefully.

"Okay," Andy said smiling softly before the sadness came back into her face. "Do you think Oliver and Zoe will be okay?"

Sam shook his head. "Honestly? I don't know. I have no idea."

Andy nodded before leaning over and bumping her shoulder into his. "So does this mean I can call you my boyfriend without you running the other direction?" she asked jokingly.

Sam smiled and laughed. "Boyfriend? Ugh. Well I suppose that would be okay," he said leaning back into her and resting his head on her lap.

"Sam?" she asked him stroking his hair as he settled.

He looked up at her curiously.

"Do you think we'll be okay?" she asked him, her nerves obvious in her eyes.

Sam nodded. "I think so but if we're not I promise I'll keep trying."

"Me too," Andy smiled.

Sam settled down further as she stroked his hair and lay her own head back on the couch. For now everything was okay between them. There would be time later for talk about his family's problems, his years in foster care and the toll it took on them all. Why he couldn't help pushing her away when he began to realize exactly what she could mean to him. Why he knew she was it for him. Why his visions of his future featured her in Technicolor with a herd of dark haired imps and a couple of dogs.

"I bought you a new shrub," she told him with a short look. "Try not to run over this one." She said pointing toward the bag in the kitchen.

Sam just laughed. For now that was enough. There would be time enough for the future and he couldn't wait.


End file.
